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New treatment aims to cure children of severe food allergies

Hundreds of Pittsburgh-area families have children with severe food allergies. Leaving the house for any reason can create anxiety. One family is trying a cutting-edge allergy therapy for their 5-year-old son.

Hundreds of Pittsburgh-area families have children with severe food allergies. Leaving the house for any reason can create anxiety. One family is trying a cutting-edge allergy therapy for their 5-year-old son.

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Updated: 5:35 PM EDT Jul 21, 2015

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WEBVTT EFFORT TO BEAT HIS ALLERGY AND CHANGE HIS LIFE. IMAGINE FEARING FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR CHILD EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU WALKED OUT YOUR FRONT DOOR. A NEW CUTTING EDGE THERAPY COULD MEAN A CURE FOR SEVERE FOOD ALLERGIES. WHAT CLASSROOM IS HE GOING TO? REPORTER: 5-YEAR-OLD TRISTAN NOW, AND ONE YEAR AGO AFTER A SEVERE ATTACK TRIGGERED BY PEANUT RESIDUE. ALL OF A SUDDEN HE STARTED GOING DADDY DADDY MY THROAT AND HE WAS GRABBING AT HIS THROAT, THEN HE STARTED HAVING HALLUCINATIONS. REPORTER: HIS DAD USED THE EPI PEN AND SAVED HIS LIFE. IMAGINE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO THE MALL OR SCHOOL OR SOME SOCIAL EVENT AND THAT THERE IS ANTHRAX ON EVERYTHING, THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S ON A DOOR KNOB OR A TABLE OR IT'S IN THE CAFETERIA AND THEY SAY HERE TAKE YOUR KID THERE AND LET'S JUST HOPE THEY DON'T CATCH IT. REPORTER: SO THEY FOUND A MICHIGAN ALLERGIST, DID THEIR RESEARCH AND STARTED TRISTAN ON DESENSITIZATION, GIVING HIM ONE 200TH OF A PEANUT EVERY DAY TO START. WE'VE USED THAT TECHNIQUE FOR NASAL ALLERGIES AND ASTHMA AND OTHER THINGS FOR 100 YEARS AND IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. REPORTER: ALLEGHENY HEALTH NETWORK WILL HOST A PANEL SOON ON AN FILL ANAPHLAXIS. THE IDEA THAT RESIDUE COULD ESSENTIALLY KILL AND WE'RE GOING INTO A DOCTOR'S OFFICE TO GIVE HIM THE VERY THING THAT COULD TAKE HIS LIFE, IT WAS VERY SCARY. REPORTER: NOW TRISTAN EATS EIGHT PEANUTS EVERY MORNING AND MAY DO SO FOR YEARS TO COME TO KEEP THE PEANUT DANGER AT BAIVMENT IT WORKING FOR HIM, BUT IT'S NOT FOR EVERYONE AND IT MUST BE OVERSEEN BY A QUALIFIED DOCTOR. THERE ARE OTHER SIDE EFFECTS THAT CAN HAPPEN ON THE ESOPHAGUS AND DIGESTIVE TRACK, SO IT NEEDS TO BE WATCHED BY SOMEBODY WHO KNOW WHAT IS THEY'RE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF DECIDE WHRG THE DOSE IS MOVING TOO QUICKLY FOR THAT CHILD.

New treatment aims to cure children of severe food allergies

Hundreds of Pittsburgh-area families have children with severe food allergies. Leaving the house for any reason can create anxiety. One family is trying a cutting-edge allergy therapy for their 5-year-old son.